I'm overwintering 4 blueberry bushes in pots. I'm putting them in an unheated garage. No other protection. You never stop watering. You don't want the soil bone dry, or soaking wet. A light watering about once a month should do. Resume normal watering when plant starts to grow.
For winter protection the best way is in the ground, to bury the pot in the ground. What dwarf is it? Most are very hardy. If on a covered porch, you want to keep the roots warm. The problem in pots is the roots freeze so the plant cannot draw water. The winds dry the plant, and it dies.
I'm not sure burlap would work? I would probably put chicken wire around the pot and leave space to fill with leaves. You could bury the whole plant.
I'm doing this with some blackberry vines. I'm also spraying them with an anti-desiccant to prevent dehydration., I'm using Will-Stop by Bonide. You could use that product too. Since my unheated garage will be above freezing most of the time, I'm not spraying my blueberries. Mine lose all leaves too.If roots are not frozen the plant can draw water when needed.

My bush is called Peach Sorbet from brizil berries, Fall creek. It keeps its leaves all yr. We have a heated garage and my citrus trees will be in there. My bb will be on a covered porch. Can I put mulch around the trunk to keep the roots warm? By spraying, do you mean that you spray the branchs? My bush has not been transplanted yet but will be soon. Right now I water a little every night. I want to stop from having to do that. Anyway. You said that in winter you water once a month. Does the bushs need for water slow down itself?

in my MI ... in an UNheated garage.. or pole barn ..

the easiest way to water .. in winter.. is either ice cubes or snowballs...

so that when the temps warm a BIT ... then they melt ... and provide.. A LITTLE WATER ... it is just so easy.. to screw it up.. with a watering can ....

and as for lots of pots.. and lots of ice cubes.. think dollar store trays .. and leaving them filled ... in winter.. outside.. they self freeze ...

ken

Prune during winter dormancy. Yes, mulch heavy, and what Ken says about the snow would work. It is hardy to zone 5 so I would not use the anti-desiccant spray. I don't think you need it. And if used yes spray the leaves. Follow label directions. Again though since it is hardy to zone 5, I don't think you need the spray. Mulch thick!
As the plant goes dormant for winter, the soil will stay moist. You will see it uses less water. You should try and water in the morning not at night. If you have to water at night, try to get it in the pot and not on the leaves. As it invites fungal infections.In the morning it dries off, where at night leaves could stay wet all night.

Ok Thank you very much. You were both a big help. I have 1 question. Can't the ice or snow balls make the root cold? Also, how do you know when to water?

I myself would not use the snow method. It works, but I worry if it all melts then it becomes super cold, you will have a problem. The roots can freeze, you just don't want them saturated in water when it happens. I would water the first of the month. A light watering too, not your normal soak it good watering. Enough to wet the surface only. If it looks super dry add water. It is hard to tell, and hard to say what is enough. Experience helps! Like when you overwinter bulbs indoors in say peat moss. You barely get them wet. Too wet and they rot, too dry and they dehydrate.
If you use snow, don't pile it on, just coat the surface 1/2 inch. If that all melts, it's not too much.
I have overwintered bulbs, but never plants. this is my first year too. Most of my blueberries are in ground.
I harvested my last handful about a week ago.

Hi Drew Thanks for answering. Nice berries! They are big. My bush may be going into the ground in the spring. I was going to put it in the ground this year but thought that I would try a container first. What do you think about mixing some mulch in with the soil? What would the purpose be? does it act alittle like bark? My last question probably is strange. I am going to use a plastic pot. The pot is 18 inch square with feet. The feet are hallow. I had 5 or 6 drainage holes punched in the center of the bottom of the pot. Since the feet are hollow, soil will fill them I guess. When I water will water sit in the feet? Is it ok or should I punch a hole in the bottom of each foot?

I think it would be ok, no need to drain feet. Although maybe you should not for plant, but if they freeze, they might crack! If pine bark it is ok to be in soil, or fir bark. No other bark, best on top not in soil. Hardwood bark as it breaks down uses nitrogen, so if in soil takes it out of the soil. Less food for the plant. Pine bark is so slow to break down, this is not a problem. Good luck with this plant. it is really a different type of blueberry. Very unique, I want one! The berries pictured are from the Chandler cultivar, it produces very big berries. It's young, next year they will be even bigger. Here is a photo of it from this summer. It is surrounded by other plants. Raspberries to the left. Tomatoes to the right.
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Very nice bushes. I would like a raspberry. I grew 11 tomato plants from seed this year. Hard work! What would crack, the feet? Don't know what wood is in the mulch. I can find out. Your bush sounds great. Never knew that berries get larger over time. WOW! Thank you very very much! You were a big help. I will probably be back sometime. I always seem to think of a question. Good luck!

I was thinking of water only in the feet, but soil will be in there too. So should be fine without holes.
Well young plants take time to produce full potential. Each cultivar is different. Chandler is known for large berries. If you get small berries the first year, they may be bigger the next. Also if you thin berries, (remove some) berries grow larger. if a plant over produces, the berries are small. Some cultivars tend to overproduce, others do not. Peach trees and plum trees always over produce. You have to thin fruits. I grow them too.
I have about 25 raspberry plants. I grow every color of the rainbow.
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very interestinting. I have only seen red berries so thanks for the picture. Do the others taste good? I alway wanted a peach tree. Some day. For now I have my hands full with two critus trees and a bb bush in containers. I still have tomatos, pumpkins and sunflowers in the garden. Good luck with your fruit!

I never grew sunflowers but bought some seeds for next year. I always like to grow new things. Yes the other colors are great. Yellows are sweeter, black raspberries taste a lot different. Also a pink one in there. Some of the yellows flush red or pink, some stay yellow.
I grew 11 tomato plants this year. Also peppers.
I grow currants, honeyberries, strawberries, blackberries, elderberries, cornelian cherries, sweet and tart cherry trees, Peaches, plums, pluots, and other berries too.
I grew melons this year. Watermelons next year. Beans, sugar snap peas, pole beans, lettuce, and radishes.
Here is my backyard, raspberries on the left. A number of raised beds, and my fruit trees, some of them which are kept small by summer pruning.
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